Houston Film Critics nominations: ‘Minari’ leads with 7

Minari, director Lee Isaac Chung’s study of a family from Korea starting a farm in Arkansas, led nominees for the 14th annual awards from the Houston Film Critics Society, announced on Monday. The film is nominated by the Society for seven honors, including the Best Picture of 2020.

Three female filmmakers – Chloé Zhao (Nomadland), Regina King (One Night in Miami) and Emerald Fennell (Promising Young Woman) – are nominees for Best Director. Some eighteen categories of film excellence will be recognized by the prestigious body of film journalists and announced on January 18, 2021. The winning films, along with nominees and winners in the Society’s Texas Independent Film Awards, will be spotlighted in the Society’s first televised awards programming on Jan. 31 at 4:00 p.m. CST on Houston’s KUBE-TV.

“From a year that most of us would love to forget, comes an impressive collection of movies we will always remember,” says Doug Harris, Society president. “For the film industry, 2020 will be recalled just as much for works which nourished our souls, as for the ways that world events changed movie habits. The impact of the artistic expression from this year’s nominees reminds us that the size of a screen, or where we view it, matters less than the quality of what we see.”

In addition to Best Picture, Minari is nominated for Best Director, Best Actor (Steven Yeun), Best Supporting Actress (Youn Yuh-jung), Best Screenplay, Best Cinematography and a Cinematic Achievement honor for seven-year-old actor Alan S. Kim. Following the film in overall nominations is Sound of Metal – the chronicle of a heavy metal musician’s hearing loss – with six nods, including Best Picture, while three films – Nomadland, One Night in Miami and The Trial of the Chicago 7 – received five nominations each, also including Best Picture. Other contenders for this top award are Da 5 Bloods, The Father, Never Rarely Sometimes Always, Promising Young Woman and Soul, which was also a nominee for Best Animated Feature. 

The late Chadwick Boseman is a double nominee, with mentions in Lead Actor for Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom and Best Supporting Actor for Da 5 Bloods. His performance in the lead category joins Riz Ahmed (Sound of Metal), Anthony Hopkins (The Father), Delroy Lindo (Da 5 Bloods) and Steven Yeun (Minari); Sacha Baron Cohen (The Trial of the Chicago 7), Bill Murray (On the Rocks), Leslie Odom, Jr. (One Night in Miami) and Paul Raci (Sound of Metal) are also nominated for supporting honors.

“The performances of our nominees bring to life, through film, the strength of the human mind, body and spirit,” observes Harris. “We are invited to walk in the steps of an incredible range of people who demonstrate their resilience in the face of challenge. Imagine what this work says about the strength of the human soul, in a year filled with tragedy and uncertainty.”

Competing for Lead Actress are Viola Davis, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom; Sidney Flanigan, Never Rarely Sometimes Always; Vanessa Kirby, Pieces of a Woman; Frances McDormand, Nomadland; and Carey Mulligan, Promising Young Woman. Nominees for the Supporting Actress honor are Maria Bakalova, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm; Ellen Burstyn, Pieces of a Woman; Olivia Colman, The Father; Amanda Seyfried, Mank; and Youn Yuh-jung for Minari.

Here is the full list of nominations. Winners will be announced January 18.

Best Picture

“Da 5 Bloods”; “The Father”; “Minari”; “Never Rarely Sometimes Always”; “Nomadland”; “One Night in Miami”; “Promising Young Woman”; “Soul”; “Sound of Metal”; “The Trial of the Chicago 7”

Best Director

Lee Isaac Chung, “Minari”; Chloé Zhao, “Nomadland”; Regina King, “One Night in Miami”; Emerald Fennell, “Promising Young Woman”; Darius Marder, “Sound of Metal”; Aaron Sorkin, “The Trial of the Chicago 7”

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role

Riz Ahmed, “Sound of Metal”; Chadwick Boseman, “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”; Anthony Hopkins, “The Father”; Delroy Lindo, “Da 5 Bloods”; Steven Yeun, “Minari”

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role

Viola Davis, “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”; Sidney Flanigan, “Never Rarely Sometimes Always”; Vanessa Kirby, “Pieces of a Woman”; Frances McDormand, “Nomadland”; Carey Mulligan, “Promising Young Woman”

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role

Chadwick Boseman, “Da 5 Bloods”; Sacha Baron Cohen, “The Trial of the Chicago 7”; Bill Murray, “On the Rocks”; Leslie Odom Jr., “One Night in Miami”; Paul Raci, “Sound of Metal”

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role

Maria Bakalova, “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm”; Ellen Burstyn, “Pieces of a Woman”; Olivia Colman, “The Father”; Amanda Seyfried, “Mank”; Youn Yuh‑jung, “Minari”

Best Screenplay

“Minari”; “Nomadland”; “One Night in Miami”; “Promising Young Woman”; “Sound of Metal”; “The Trial of the Chicago 7”

Best Animated Feature

“The Croods: A New Age”; “Onward”; “Over the Moon”; “Soul”; “Wolfwalkers”

Best Cinematography

“Mank”; “Minari”; “News of the World”; “Nomadland”; “Tenet”

Best Documentary Feature

“Boys State”; “Collective”; “Dick Johnson is Dead”; “My Octopus Teacher”; “Time”

Best Foreign Language Feature

“Another Round” (Denmark); “Bacurau” (Brazil/France); “Beanpole” (Russia); “La Llorona” (Guatemala); “A Sun” (Taiwan)

Best Original Score

“Mank”; “The Midnight Sky”; “News of the World”; “Soul”; “Tenet”

Best Original Song

“Turntables” from “All In: The Fight for Democracy”; “Lo Si” from “Life Ahead”; “Speak Now” from “One Night in Miami”; “Rocket to the Moon” from “Over the Moon”; “Wear Your Crown” from “The Prom”

Best Visual Effects

“Tenet”; “The Invisible Man”; “The Midnight Sky”

Best Stunt Coordination Team

“Birds of Prey”; “Mulan”; “The Old Guard”; “Tenet”; “Wonder Woman 1984”

Texas Independent Film Award

“Boys State”; “Miss Juneteenth”; “Ready or Not”; “The Vast of Night”; “Yellow Rose”

Outstanding Cinematic Achievement

Criterion Channel as Best Movie Streaming Platform; “Minari” for the performance by Alan S. Kim; “Small Axe” for Steve McQueen’s vision for film anthology; “Sound of Metal” for immersive sound design; “The Trial of the Chicago 7” for ensemble cast

Minari image courtesy of A24